Q & A with Lance Duroni
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Q&A
Q & A with Lance Duroni
Lance Duroni is a member of the Litigation Department at Kohner Mann & Kailas, S.C. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He assists with litigation as well as mediation and arbitration.
While attending Marquette University Law School, Duroni was an associate editor of the Marquette Law Review, where he was a published author. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, he also interned with Justice Rebecca Bradley of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Federal Defender’s Office in Madison.
Prior to entering law school, Duroni worked as a journalist for Law360, the news division of Lexis-Nexis, where he helped launch Law360’s coverage of various courts in Delaware, including the venerable Delaware Chancery Court. Duroni, who earned a master’s degree in journalism from Temple University, later reported from the federal courts in Chicago, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Q: Before becoming an attorney, what was your first job?
A: Going to law school was a mid-life career change for me. My first career was in journalism, so I worked for a variety of magazines, newspapers, websites, etc.
Attorney Lance Duroni gathered his family – including two pups – for a 2022 yuletide photo which featured his children (l-r) Charlie, Henry, and Bella.
Q: What motivated you to pursue a legal career?
A: I worked for many years as a reporter for Law360, which sort of opened the door to my legal career. I observed and wrote about many trials and legal disputes as a reporter before I ever set foot in law school. I was fascinated by the legal profession and ultimately decided to try my hand at it.
Q: Who was your chief mentor and how did he or she influence your career?
A: Ryan Billings. Ryan has a clear and concise answer at the ready for most of my questions, so he is a great mentor. And only 50 percent of his answers begin with “it depends,” which is a pretty good ratio for an attorney.
Q: What is one thing you would like to learn to do?
A: Speak a little bit of Italian, just enough to not be completely clueless when I visit Italy.
Q: What is your proudest career achievement?
A: I’m still relatively early in my career, but I recently received an award from the Wisconsin Law Journal as a “Rising Young Lawyer,” so I’m proud that my colleagues saw fit to nominate me and that the publication recognized me.
Lance Duroni’s dog Kurt after enjoying some fun in the snow.
Lance Duroni
Q: What other career path might you have chosen?
A: I did choose another career path first (journalism) but the law was a fortuitous second option after legacy media took a turn for the worse. I think I’m a better lawyer than I was a journalist.
Q: What do you do to give back to your community?
A: I try to give to environmental causes when I can—things involving clean energy and sustainability. Those efforts are not always centered on my community, per se, but I would like to find ways to positively impact the environment in the Milwaukee area.
Q: Can you share a positive referral experience within Primerus?
A: I had a case in federal court in South Carolina and was aided by a very knowledgeable and helpful local counsel, Frank Blanchard of Rosen Hagood.
Q: What is your most treasured material possession?
A: My record collection.
Q: What is your happiest childhood memory?
A: Probably just playing in the forest in Pennsylvania with childhood friends, not a care in the world.
Q: What is your favorite movie and book?
A: Movie: “Point Break.”
Book: “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy.
Skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a favorite leisure time pursuit for Lance Duroni.
Q: What is the most awe-inspiring place you have visited?
A: Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Q: What are your favorite leisure time pursuits?
A: Skiing and live music.
Q: What is your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
A: “We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap.” – Kurt Vonnegut (possibly paraphrased)
Q: Who is on your guest list for the ideal dinner party?
A: Axl Rose, Keanu Reeves, Kurt Vonnegut, and Bjork.
Q: What are the top three items on your bucket list?
A: Ski in Alaska. Take a long trip across Italy. Dine on sushi in Tokyo.